"Moderate-Taliban", an Oxymoron?

"As if suddenly the roots I had left behindcried out to me, the land I had lost with mychildhood-and I stopped, wounded by the wandering scentof that distant land, I once called home...."Pablo Neruda- Ode to Peace.

Mexico and Latin America's foremost writer and essayist, Octavio Paz exposes our politicians' naivety and blindness in his masterpiece, El Laberinto De La Soledad/Labyrinth of Solitude : "The biggest problem with the American politicians lies in the fact that they only accept the positive side of a reality." El maestro, Octavio Paz's objective criticism of American politicos' blindness to the realities on the ground is further cemented by the recent announcement of Obama administration's "Cajoling" with the so called "Moderate-Taliban".

From the Greek word oxy ("sharp" or "pointed") and moros ("dull"), Oxymoron is a proper subset of the expressions called contradictions in terms. I'm of strong convictions that "Moderate-Taliban" is a also contradiction in terms. And the reason for this contradiction lies much deeper in the ideology from which Taliban draw their sustenance and existence, the ideology of violent fanatic global nihilism, or Wahabi based militant Islamism.

The most disturbing and erroneous aspect of Taliban's fanaticism lie in the fact that their faith is less in God than in their own concept of God. Their frenzy readings of religious scriptures and its strictly by the word interpretations and applications, have created human tragedies unparalleled in modern Afghan history[or rather, parallel to Soviets and their traitor Afghan communist puppets' "Reign of Terror" 1978-1989] . The Taliban fanatics strongly believe that the "Holy Spirits" they are supposedly filled with, are above the laws, and "Wahhabi-Law" is the only law they must obey. Therefore, how can we possibly negotiate with these fanatics who love to tell us they would rather obey their version of God than true Islam, and that they are sure going to heaven for butchering us, the non-Wahhabi Muslim Infidels!

This new concept of "Good-Terrorists" and "Bad-Terrorists" is purely of current politicos' creation.The fact that American foreign policy makers are not learning anything from the past, and once again "Cajoling" with the so called "Moderate Taliban" through calls for meetings, undoubtedly proves Machiavelli' shrewd observations and conclusions on politics and politicians in his wicked book, The Prince: "Politics is the art of deception..Politics has no relation to morals.. Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions..The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present...".

As a comparative analysis to the so called "Moderate Nazis", accepting the term of "Moderate-Taliban" and inclusion of Taliban in any future Afghan structure would have resembled inclusion of any "Moderate Nazis" in post-Hitler Germany after World War Two. Just as no one has ever heard of "Moderate Nazis" in the past, the so called "Moderate Taliban" of our era also do not exist.

The argument then must not be why this marginalized group, "Moderate-Taliban", or "Good-Terrorists" are not being given a voice in Afghanistan's future, but as to why American foreign policy makers so childishly believing that the supporters of terror, Taliban[moderate or not], can be trusted with helping America win its "War on Terror", precisely on Taliban's expenses?

I further explain myself:

President Obama's current stance on Afghanistan, openly calling for negotiations with the so called "Moderate-Taliban", sends the message that his administration cares more about its own interests -- narrowly defined-- than about securing justice, freedom and democracy for the oppressed Afghans, or truly fighting the Terrorists and Global Terrorism. One hears with sadness and disbelief the current American politicos' shouting to the four corners of the world its "Crusade" against Terrorism, while at the same time, making "Deals" with the same terrorists, Taliban[Moderate or not], whom America is supposedly fighting against?!
On the other hand, while most of the debates these days are centered around the need for a viable solution to the "Afghan quagmire", in my opinion, the solution to the liberation and emancipation of Afghanistan must also be analyzed through moral, social, and legal corruptions of Afghan society. Of all the corruptions Afghan society currently being plagued with, the individual, personal, and moral corruptions are the most devastating and destructive.While education and economic opportunities are important elements, the emancipation of Afghans in particular, and Afghan society in general, can only be achieved through each and every Afghan's honest attempts for "Self-Reformation". Self-reformation, individually or collectively, is the solution to Afghan society's spreading corruptions. A moral revolution, without one's first accepting and self-questioning of one's past and present deeds, is no revolution at all. Therefore, until and unless Afghans first acknowledge and accept their own corruptness in particular, and the corruption of Afghan society in general, any attempts for self-reformation and emancipation of Afghan society will result in more disastrous failures.

In an extraordinary essay published by Global Business and Technology Association, the corruptions of those in power in the Third World societies are brilliantly explained and denounced:

"...Grand corruption" is corruption by politicians and high-ranking officials. Third World corruption is particularly rapacious and destructive. Leaders whose duty it is to promote accountability and public welfare are the worst offenders; they get away with it and hide the booty in secret foreign bank accounts...The responsible elites shamelessly rape their constituencies and then seek health and education overseas, sometimes at public expense.

This litany of bad governance must be stopped; something drastic must be done. The world rallies to help the needy, and human rights instruments enjoin development co-operation. But aid programs driven by altruistic charity rather than by economic justice and common sense have failed. The poor must be saved from their own thuggish leaders; and donors deserve reliable accounting for their gifts. Those who cry for help must show that their scarce resources are used lawfully and optimally. Leaders who do not account satisfactorily must be given no more...".

The socio-economical "Corruption" of Afghan society is also directly resulting in lack of political and justice system developments in Afghanistan. Afghan society, at the dawn of 21st century, seemingly resembles the Afghanistan of the1920's [during the short lived reign of the reformist King, Amanulah Khan (1919-1929). Just as the previously unsuccessful attempts for reformations of Afghan society by King Amanulah Khan, the current attempts of a small group of reformist Afghan expatriates, majority of whom young Afghan-Americans returning to their roots, have also undoubtedly placed Afghan society at a crossroad: An Afghanistan torn between calls for a Taliban-like Islamic society being pushed by increasingly prominent and influential religious figures and Warlords turned politicians, with behind the scene supports and blessing of Karzai and his "Courtiers", and a minority moderate, educated, and reformist Afghans calling for true democracy and rule of law. The current Afghan politicos' deliberate and continuous disregard for the well being of their fellow Afghans, and their lack of understanding and knowledge of coherent values inherent in a true democracy, have resulted in their narrow, selfish, corrupted, and self-oriented views and outlooks of Afghans in particular, and Afghan society in general.

In conclusion, Karzai, or hopefully his successor, needs clear, defined, and effective powers to overcome Afghan society's historical impotency and the inherent institutional obstacles to a modern system of governance. Media savvy Karzai needs to address not only the issue of improving the lives of ordinary Afghans, but must also win the hearts and minds of Afghans of all colors and stripes, not just few already unmasked and discredited Warlords turned politicians, or the so called "Moderate-Taliban". It's also high time for Karzai to abandon the comforts of "Royal Palace" in Kabul, and embark towards creating an independent and potent Central Authority that can cater to important social and economic necessities of all Afghans, not just remedy of the injured ego of some blinded by reality American politicians.

I conclude by stating that the idea of "Moderate Taliban" only exists in the minds of some of our foreign policy makers whose approach to any issue is quite the same as Mullah Omar's outrageous "Edicts"!

Therefore, as long as Obama and his so called "Afghan experts" are making deal with "Good Terrorists" or "Moderate-Taliban", the "War on Terror" is also an oxymoron!